Thankless Quotes

On work and roles that rarely get their due.

The oldest quote here — a nod to Shakespeare's line about a serpent's tooth and an ungrateful child — sets the tone for everything that follows, framing 'thankless' as a very old complaint about unappreciated Effort. From there the page moves into modern territory, calling out screenwriting in L.A. as a famously thankless occupation.


Two more quotes push the theme into public and private life, calling politics an ugly and thankless role and child-rearing a tedious, thankless undertaking. Together they suggest thanklessness isn't tied to any one job, but to any role where the Judgment of others rarely matches the work involved.